Some people say I like to beat Microsoft up. Not really. I just dislike bad technology, and Microsoft makes a lot of poor-quality hardware and software. Anyone unfortunate enough to own a 30GB Zune knows exactly what I mean.
Today, December 31st, many, if not all, 30GB Zunes, Microsoft’s first generation of music players, stopped working. They were as dead as doornails.
Now, Microsoft is explaining that the so-called “Z2K9” glitch was the result of how the device’s firmware handles leap years. While short on details, the Microsoft press representative also said that the frozen Zunes should start working again by by noon GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) on January 1st. In other words, by 7AM Eastern time tomorrow morning, your bricked Zune should be working.
Microsoft assures users that they won’t need to reset the time or do anything else fancy. If you buy Microsoft’s story, users’ Zunes will just magically start working again.